Guilt

"Our greatest scientist now in the hands of the enemy."

Writer: Scott Alan Woodard
Format: Audio
Released: December 2006
Series: I, Davros 04

Featuring: Davros

Synopsis

"That is our world out there. A chemical soup for a sky above and a scarred, radioactive wasteland below. It is purgatory. But we must make it paradise!"

The Kaled city is now ravaged, and life has become one of fear, protected by a vast transparent dome that covers what remains of the City.

The Thals undertake a desperate mission to take Davros away from his laboratories, and the Supremo must send a crack squad over enemy lines to retrieve his chief scientist.

Led by the young, enthusiastic and morally-bankrupt Lieutenant Nyder, Davros is successfully rescued.

But he has been changed by the experience, and where once he stood for knowledge, he now espouses the utter extermination of the Thal people. To this end, Davros will stop at nothing and will sacrifice anybody to see his legacy continue.

Here's to the future...

Verdict

Guilt was a superb conclusion to what has been a quite brilliant I, Davros spinoff series! This adventure in particularly was pretty much a prequel to Genesis of the Daleks but I guess that could be said of the entire series. I was delighted to hear Nyder make his chronological debut and seeing how he gained his allegiance and trust with Davros was fantastic. I hadn't read the synopsis prior to listening so that was a lovely treat for me personally. Despite the recognisable jumps in the life of Davros that each of this series stories have gone through, the continuity between them is excellent. Baran finding out that Davros had experimented on his own mother was terrific and I liked his reaction to that. He was quite surprised but also you could tell that it was something he was kind of expectant of. Davros wanting control over the Kaled's newborns and children under five was quite horrifying but he would get his wish. I love his reactions when his loyalty is questioned as he abhorrently and abundantly believes there is nobody more loyal. All of his work, despite what it might mean, is done with the sole consideration of maintaining Kaled life and defeating the Thals. If defeating them means the Kaled's become something more or different then that is the price that has to be paid. The Thals capturing Davros was great and I liked how revered Davros was to the enemy. His experiments had garnered a reputation and they quite obviously feared him. They were still concerned with weaponry and I liked how that was not what Davros was really researching. I really enjoyed hearing the first instance of the 'travel machines' that would house the Kaleds following their genetic manipulation and the fact that a Thal was the first to be cased was just sublime. I liked hearing of Davros reading the ancient Book of Predictions of the Dals and hearing him utter the word 'Dalek' for the first time was a wonderful moment. It's so fascinating to hear him creating the deadliest species the universe would see with such calmness and ruthlessness. He eradicated the Council of Twelve by nanobombs that he injected with radiation tablets that were distributed widely and he assumed command. The similarities, especially with the propaganda, to Nazi Germany was fantastic. The series finishing on the very first Dalek recognising that it was alive and communicating was terrific and led into the Davros's TV debut superbly. Overall, a fantastic end to what has been a really great series!

Rating: 9/10

Corruption

"We have changed the face of Skaro."

Writer: Lance Parkin
Format: Audio
Released: November 2006
Series: I, Davros 03

Featuring: Davros

Synopsis

"Logically, the war ends with one form of life in utter control of the world. All other life forms gone. That is the goal that is the only true victory!"

Now established within the Science Elite, Davros and his team are pushing the boundaries of Kaled experimentation further and further forward.

Access to Thal DNA spearheads an entirely new field of research for Davros, and as he becomes more and more intrigued by genetic mutations, others around him begin to fear him, his drive and his obsessive need for power.

Meanwhile he must learn to cope with betrayal and political manoeuvrings that will leave him changed forever.

Verdict

Corruption was another terrific story to continue my listening of I, Davros. I really liked that we joined his youth where he was a member of the Scientific Elite and he was working towards ending the war. However, his methods didn't seem to be purely based on developing weaponry and his research was much more concerned with genetic mutations of the Kaled DNA. How he utilised Thal DNA to enhance his research was fantastic and I absolutely adore his fascination with all of his research. Calcula perished in this story in quite horrific fashion but instead of feeling grief or shock, he was just interested in how her body reacted to the genetic code he had placed into the radiation that she released to prevent Fenn from destroying all of his work. It was a horrendous sacrifice but she truly did just want what was best for her son and would go to any means necessary to achieve it. The Supremo being the one to orchestrate her killing was quite a surprise to me but I loved the calmness in which Davros confronted his superior over his mother's death. He had provided him with a decent specimen so I guess it wasn't such an inconvenience to him. Davros sharing a relationship with Shan was delightful and the very concept of him having a love interest just seems absurd. But at this stage in his life, why wouldn't he? Calcula was quite excited by the prospect but for Davros, she was just someone who he shared research and his findings with. Her desire for peace, a now forbidden word, was excellent and I liked how Davros exposed her as a traitor despite having a fondness for her. Peace was not the answer as it would only be temporary. Davros had other means. Seeing his mother become the first of a new species, the very first mutated Kaled that would of course eventually become a Dalek, was mightily intriguing. The highlight of this adventure for me though was that we got to hear just how Davros become confined to his infamous chair and became somewhere close to what we more commonly know him as. The Thals directed an assault on his base of research and despite being twelve stories underground, he was badly affected. His mother, from beyond the grave and in his head, urged him to survive and he was placed in Kaled life support. He would live, even though he was given the option to die. He realised that this was necessary for him to continue his research and to know what was needed to defeat the Thals once and for all. I really liked the idea that the Thals were responsible for creating the Davros we know and it was such an intriguing insight into the past on Skaro. I look forward to the series finale! Overall, another very good story.

Rating: 8/10

Purity

"I know I can find a way to destroy the Thals."

Writers: James Parsons & Andrew Stirling-Brown
Format: Audio
Released: October 2006
Series: I, Davros 02

Featuring: Davros

Synopis

"We are Kaleds. We are more than a match for weak, tattered, crippled relics of the war."

Now approaching his 30th year, Davros is trying to get out of the Kaled Military and into the Scientific Corps, determined to use his mind to create new ways to let the Kaled race survive the never-ending war with the Thals. But first, he must undertake a mission into Thal territory. A mission that will introduce him to technology and hardware he could only dream of. And it just might teach him a few life lessons too.

But however dangerous the Thal City might be, that is nothing compared to the scarred relics that inhabit the Wastelands... Wastelands he and his team have to cross twice.

Verdict

Purity was another brilliant story to continue along the I, Davros series! I really liked the jump in time with Davros now nearly 30 and he had established himself as one of the greatest and most revered Kaled scientists. He wasn't quite in the top echelons of their scientific circle but he was getting there. All he would need was to carry out one mission and he would be able to join. The idea of the Thals developing a weapon that they thought could end the war was good and I liked that the Kaleds would try and compromise it and destroy it. But that wasn't enough, they also wanted to take any information they could for themselves before carrying out their destruction. The relationship between Davros and Major Brint was fantastic throughout as despite the latter being the one in command, it was the intelligence of Davros that succeeded in keeping much of the mission alive. I really liked Davros in this adventure again and his fascination with the Varga plants was wonderful. Those being the inspiration for where Davros got his ideas about genetic manipulation was superb and I really loved his abhorrent reaction to Reston wanting to die when he was subjected to being attacked upon returning back to the Kaled borders. However, they had been wearing Thal uniforms to blend into their enemy surroundings and that had proven fatal. His refusal to grant Reston his honourable death in the field of battle, similar to how his father was refused in Innocence, was fantastic and he proudly stated how he would want to live despite the infections. Davros being reunited with Magrantine was an unexpected moment but the pleasure he took in seeing his old tutor still alive was delightful. He was purely fascinated how his desire for revenge on Davros after he was left as waste kept him going all of these years. Calcula had another tremendous story and her murdering spree continued as she drowned her own daughter after she had given a heads up to the Thals that Davros would be coming. Yarvell was scared of her brother's ideas and as she was now a peace activist, she wanted to end the war whilst she thought he only wanted to extend it with his experimentation. Davros not being too bothered by his sister's death after returning was quite interesting and I also liked how the Supremo had genuinely seen his potential. Overall, another excellently fascinating insight into the life of Davros and Skaro during the Kaled-Thal war!

Rating: 9/10

Innocence

"Davros is still a boy."

Writer: Gary Hopkins
Format: Audio
Released: Septemer 2006
Series: I, Davros 01

Featuring: Davros

Synopsis

"I find it fascinating that a living creature would subject itself to such dangerous experimentation. Knowing that it would die..."

The Kaled and Thal races are at war. No one really remembers why, or when it started, but generations of people on both sides have lost so very much.

Born into an influential family is Davros. Now aged sixteen, he is being pulled in various directions his father wants him to follow tradition and go into the military. His sister has joined the Military Youth and his scheming, devoted mother wants him to pursue a life of science.

But no one seems terribly interested in what Davros himself wants. So he must begin to assert himself, begin to take control over his own life, begin to work towards his destiny...

Verdict

Innocence was an excellent start to the I, Davros spinoff series! I was hugely impressed with this story and I really wasn't sure what to expect but I was delighted with what I listened to. It took us back to the days of Davros during his teen years on Skaro in the midst of the bloody war between the Kaleds and the Thals. I really liked how that war was often mentioned but wasn't really the focus of the story and I also thought it was beneficial to introduce some of Davros's family before he actually appeared himself.  Considering what we know Davros became, it was quite unfathomable to imagine him as a young boy with a family but that's exactly where this audio took us back to. I really loved that the war was an absolute stalemate and I'm sure that would contribute to Davros's creating of the Daleks to change things from boring repetition. Calcula was a wonderful character and it was no surprise that she was so conniving and devious - that's definitely the side of the family that Davros got some of his traits from. The way she manipulated events was extraordinary and instead of being happy that her husband returned from being on the field during war, she orchestrated his death along with that of his sister. In doing so, she framed Brogan and had him killed partly by her own daughter and it was all because she didn't want the truth about Davros's father to get out in the open. Nasgard had seemed to make a decent father for Davros and I liked that whilst his son wanted to go into science, he wanted to push him onto the field of battle. His being usurped by Brogan was an intriguing element of the story but I have to say I was a little surprised that Calcula saw to his death. Yarvell was a lovely character but I thought the concept of Davros having a sister was just downright wrong. I liked that. At one time, he really was just a normal child but the adventure he went on during this story showed that he was anything but ordinary. His working with Magrantine was superb and his fascination with the radiation and living tissue was a joy to behold. At just sixteen, there were signs of the great enemy we would come to know. The way he locked his tutor in with the radiation on maximum to see its effects was quite startling but just sublime. The calmness of the character was incredible and I loved how unsurprised Calcula was when he showed her what had become of his new tutor. She believed in him and she was the only one. That was excellent. Overall, a fantastic start to the series!

Rating: 9/10

The Labyrinth of Buda Castle

"There's a vampire at large in Budapest."

Writer: Eddie Robson
Format: Audio
Released: February 2016
Series: FDA 5.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II

Synopsis

The Doctor and Romana land in Budapest, intent on enjoying another holiday, but shortly after landing they find themselves too late to save the life of a man who has seemingly been attacked by a vampire. As they learn that this is the latest in a series of violent attacks, it becomes clear that they have stumbled onto something that needs investigating.

Aided by a vampire hunter who is searching for Dracula, they look into the nearby Buda caves, currently being used for storage by the military - and find that the soldiers have problems of their own.

Stalked through the tunnels by a monster, and up against an ancient evil, the race is on to escape alive - and foil the dastardly schemes of the maniacal Zoltan Frid.

Verdict

The Labyrinth of Buda Castle was a really good audio adventure! It's almost impossible to dislike a story with the Fourth Doctor and Romana II teaming up as they just work so well together and whilst their humorous relationship wasn't utilised as much as it usually is in their stories, they still worked wonderfully well together. Of all the TARDIS duos in the past 56 years, it's hard to think of a more cultural one than this pairing so I really loved that this adventure took them to Budapest. It was a refreshing setting and adding in the prospect of Dracula was very exciting. However, we didn't actually get a vampire story but I liked how that seemed to be the direction things were heading in. I thought Celia was a terrific character and I liked how she had made herself the vampire hunter whilst the police weren't really helping with their investigations. Seven murders in two weeks was quite hefty but Celia knew more than she was letting on. I have to admit I was quite stunned when the truth about her came out! Instead of being the Dracula hunter, she was actually the human agent of real villain Zoltan Frid. She got jealous at the prospect of Anita actually becoming his queen instead of her and I really loved how surprised I was by that revelation. She was jealous and that obviously gave her away. I thought Frid himself made a superb villain and the performance by Mark Bonnar was absolute perfection. He really was the highlight of the whole adventure and I would love for the character to somehow return in the future. He really was that impressive. His thirst for information - particularly secrets - was quite intriguing and the method by which he retrieved them was gruesomely brilliant. It was so quick and simple yet incredibly effective and destructive. The blood being alive was another intriguing element of the story and I liked how Romana took the initiative in experimenting upon it. The fact that it was all linked across every victim was good and would prove pivotal in curing everybody of its effects once the Doctor had in fact defeated Frid. Priskin and Ensign were good characters in the caves and I liked how the latter had an association with Frid and was trying to save the monstrosity that had been inadvertently mutated and created and was lurking the caves. The latter aiding Romana at the conclusion was good and I liked the irony of Frid's fate with him suffering the sunlight. The Doctor using Celia to imprint a hypnotic link was maybe a tad too easy but I liked its result. Overall, a great little audio!

Rating: 8/10

The Time Travellers

"Death is contagious."

Writer: Simon Geurrier
Format: Novel
Released: November 2005
Series: PDA 74

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

'Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimensions, to be exiles?'

24 June, 2006. The TARDIS has landed in London. Ian and Barbara are almost back home. But this isn't the city they knew. This London is a ruin, torn apart by war. A war that the British are losing.

With his friends mistaken for vagrants and sentenced to death, the Doctor is press-ganged into helping perfect a weapon that might just turn the tables in the war. The British Army has discovered time travel. And the consequences are already devastating.

What has happened to the world that Ian and Barbara once knew? How much of the experiment do the Doctor and Susan really understand?

And, despite all the Doctor has said to the contrary, is it actually possible to change history?

Verdict

The Time Travellers was a really good book that was on the brink of being something very special, but it slightly slacked towards the end for me. I still really enjoyed it though and I think one of the highlights was how well the era of this TARDIS team was captured on the page. The characterisation of the First Doctor was outstanding throughout with William Hartnell's essence oozing on every page which was just delightful. The writing of each member of the four main characters was actually excellent throughout. The 2006 London setting was a very good one and it had a lot of potential with Ian and Barbara featuring, but this was not the London we knew. It had been ravaged and ransacked in a deadly war between the English and the South Africans following the victory of the Machine. I assume this was an alternative result of the events of The War Machines given the dates that were mentioned and whilst I love that concept, I thought it needed to be a lot clearer as to actually what had happened. I know the events were from the Doctor's personal future, but there needed to be some elaboration. The concept of time travel is wonderful and obviously Doctor Who delves with it in pretty much every story by nature of what the TARDIS is, but I really liked how originally it was used here. Humanity experimenting with time travel in 2006 just seemed off and obviously they had made mistakes. Andrews, all of him, was an intriguing character and I did find it quite humorous when more versions of him kept popping up after going through the hoop. I think things did get a bit confusing with the nature of the story being what it was as it was a little difficult to keep track of the duplicates, especially once Barbara convinced herself that Ian wasn't the one she knew. Ian having to witness himself die must have been horrendous, but I thought it was brilliant that Barbara and Susan had to witness his body pass as they were locked up. They saw his body, how were they to suspect he might have survived? The relationship between Ian and Barbara throughout was most intriguing but I'm not sure I liked how much their apparent love for each other was mentioned. The epilogue was good in that it extended the scene when they arrived home in The Chase and they finally kissed which was a nice moment though. The story's placement was clearly immediately prior to The Dalek Invasion of Earth and I found it most intriguing how the Doctor was looking for somewhere that Susan could stay and live a life without fear of the Time Lords finding her. The theme of meddling with history was taken very far here and I liked how much The Aztecs was referenced. Barbara had a tough time there and now she couldn't believe how prepared the Doctor was to change history. His fear and mentioning of getting caught by his own people was most fascinating I must say. Griffiths was a very good character and I liked how he aided the group when they went back to 1972 to fix all of the problems created by the hoop and the TARDIS going through it. I liked how the Ship, as it was so fantastically referred to throughout, was the anchor that caused people to be drawn to the time period but I did think the ease with which the Doctor and co fixed the time experiments was quite poor. It was a real shame that it was so easy and I think that should have been the focus of the story's conclusion, rather than retrieving the TARDIS. The number of paradoxes in play was interesting and there were some other great characters in the form of Wu, Abi and Kelly and I also loved how the story was bookended by the Ian duplicate talking with Barbara's mother. The excruciating wait and journey for the aged Ian to save the Doctor, Susan and Barbara was very good indeed. Overall, a very decent read but I can't help but think it could have been even better.

Rating: 7/10

Cold Vengeance

"Mars salutes you all."

Writer: Matt Fitton
Format: Audio
Released: November 2017
Series: TDA 2.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis


The TARDIS arrives on Coldstar, a vast freezer satellite, packed with supplies to feed a colony world.

But there are cracks in the ice, and something scuttles under the floors. Soon, Rose and the Doctor encounter robots, space pirates and... refuse collectors.

As Coldstar's tunnels begin to melt, an even greater threat stirs within. An old enemy of the Doctor puts a plan into action - a plan for retribution. Nobody's vengeance is colder than an Ice Warrior's.

Verdict

Cold Vengeance was a decent conclusion to the second series of the Tenth Doctor Adventures and it saw the Tenth Doctor do battle against the Ice Warriors! This was something I was very excited about and I thought David Tennant was excellent alongside the Martians as the Tenth Doctor. I thought Billie Piper was superb as Rose in this adventure and I think Fitton did a great job in recreating her role as the companion. She was really good and I think this actually felt like Series 2 more than the other stories in this volume. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the setting which was a bit of a shame. Coldstar seemed a little similar with the iced food to what we got in Thin Ice and I just felt it was a bit limiting and not the most accommodating of settings for a one hour story. That was my main issue with the adventure and I really do think it was holding things back as I really enjoyed most aspects. I liked that these Ice Warriors were evil and lived for revenge on humanity. The focus of Enyo being the contested space which humanity and Ice Warrior fought over was good and I loved that Hasskor was about to blow it to smithereens without realising that some of his own kind lived on it in refuge. Hearing the violent extent that humanity went to in order to be victorious was quite shocking and the effect it had on the Ice Warriors was surprising. Hasskor made a great Lord and I liked that the Doctor was somewhat ridiculing the ranking system of his old enemies when captured. He knew all about them and didn't try and keep it a secret. He showed his power and authority which I really liked. The Doctor being forced to leave Rose behind was excellent but I loved her ingenuity in getting the melting iceberg she was on to the ship the Doctor was taken on. Callum made a commendable sacrifice in order to get her there and I was a little taken aback by how Brona just wanted revenge for her lost son. She didn't even seem sad, just angry. The ending was a little surprising with Hasskor literally giving up his life when his reason for revenge was eradicated, but he left a bomb in the former of his suit which was a lovely devious trick. As he'd stated, it wasn't about winning but more so about his enemies losing. That was an interesting motive to have. The Doctor and Rose didn't have too much difficulty in throwing it out of the ship, apart from some scares with Lorna almost going with it, and as a whole this was a decent audio story but it could have been a little more. Overall, a good adventure still!

Rating: 7/10

The Liar, the Glitch and the War Zone

"There were people full of love and energy and enthusiasm. Missy hated them all."

Writer: Peter Anghelides
Format: Short Story
Released: February 2018
Printed in: The Missy Chronicles

Featuring: Missy

Synopsis

Trapped in Venice between two time-zones, pursued by militaristic Gryphons, Missy will do anything to survive.

Verdict

The Lion, the Glitch and the War Zone was another delightful story to continue my reading of The Missy Chronicles! This was a fantastic story to throw Missy into and I really enjoyed how she had to deal with modern day humanity. I imagine she would fit right into Venice with her attire but she wasn't a fan of the people at all, as my opening quote will attest. Her having trouble with the TARDIS after it temporally merged with a Gryphon timeship was really good and I loved the initial bickering between the two once it occurred. Missy wasn't too thrilled as she'd beaten the Daleks but they hadn't even heard of them! I would guess from her comments that in Missy's chronology this story took place soon after the events of The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar and I like how this collection of stories have filled some of the minimal gaps in her timeline. Missy having her own dematerialisation circuit stolen from Mario, a young con artist, was fantastic and when a vortex void popped up linking the present with the fourteenth century, her dematerialisation circuit ended up as a modern day museum artefact. Missy was trying to find some alternative power source to pilot the TARDIS by using the void to her advantage but she needed an immense influx. Water on the scale that Venice possessed was about right, but that would mean death on a massive scale. Oh well, what did that matter? Missy overcame the tidal defences after some excruciating difficulty and aggravating conversation with Antonia and her TARDIS was free again. But she had to stop the plague from being in the 21st century and also had to ensure she wouldn't be hunted by the Gryphons. So she would time-ram her own past TARDIS so she would never have collided with the Gryphon timeship in the first place. It was something the Doctor would never do and I liked that it was something different and dangerous. She hit her own TARDIS meaning the meeting with the Gryphons never happened, the plague never spread into the 21st century and her dematerialisation circuit never got stolen. Mario though still suffered a sad fate and Antonia was returned to him by Missy which was an unexpectedly kind gesture. Overall, another great little story where the characterisation of Missy was just magnificent.

Rating: 8/10

The Sun Makers

"I can't pay the taxes."

Writer: Robert Holmes
Format: TV
Broadcast: 26th November - 17th December 1977
Season: 15.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

The TARDIS, along with the Doctor, Leela and K9, arrives on Pluto in the distant future. The time travellers discover the planet has a breathable atmosphere and enjoys heat from six small suns, but the humans who live there are taxed and exploited heavily for the privilege. When Leela is captured and sentenced to death, the Doctor must save his companion, as well as stopping the ruthless Company, before it's too late...

Verdict

The Sun Makers was an excellent serial! I really enjoyed this one and I think it must go down as a quite underrated story. Tom Baker was magnificent as the Fourth Doctor and I really enjoyed his relationship with Leela. They're a terrific duo and throwing in K9 is always wonderful. The story being bookended by TARDIS scenes depicting a chess match between the Doctor and his robot dog was magnificent and I loved how sure the Doctor was of victory, only for K9 to calculate that check mate was in six moves. The Doctor saw that the game would have to be restarted though. The setting of Pluto in the far future was really intriguing and I loved how this was a story about galactic imperialism. The Company were superb villains with the Collector serving as an excellent central enemy. His obsession with work and money was beyond an obsession and I really liked how just weird and enthusiastic he was about his economic responsibility. Starting the adventure with Cordo failing to be able to pay his late father's death taxes set the scene fantastically and he went so far as wanting to kill himself. Leela prevented that quite desperately. Hade was also a brilliant character and I really enjoyed his role as the Gatherer. His position meant that he didn't really care about the troubles and hardships imposed on the lower levels of the population by the taxes but once he was held responsible for the Doctor's impact on the Company, the financial hit would come out of his purse and his reaction to that was magnificent. Mandrel was another very good character and I quite liked the idea of underground resistance. They took a while to trust the Doctor, especially after Hade used him to spy and locate the Others, but he ended being a crucial cog in the revolution wheel. The steps taken towards achieving that revolution were really good and I have to say I thought the pace of this story was very well done. The cliffhangers were great and I liked how aggressive and passionate Leela was throughout. Her continued references to tribes and taken pride in coming from the Sevateem was lovely. She had a really strong outing here. Marn was a good character and her joining the revolution was terrific. The conclusion with the Collector revealing he was in fact a Usurian was great and the Doctor's 'something clever' was adding a 2% tax effect on the economy and that was enough to send him mad. They'd exploited Mars and had to sustain six suns to get finance out of humanity, but now the Company were sent packing and the Collector literally crawled into his own chair and the plug was put on. The ending was lovely with everyone waving the TARDIS off and as a whole, this really was a tremendous little story!

Rating: 9/10

The Sontarans

"Doctor, you don't know the Sontarans."

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Audio
Released: December 2016
Series: The Early Adventures 3.04

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Sara

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives on a moon-sized asteroid orbiting two gas giants. With an amazing view, it's a chance for the Doctor, Steven and Sara to unwind after their recent adventures.

But they quickly find themselves in the midst of battle - on one side: a familiar group of space-suited soldiers - members of the Space Security Service. On the other: strange, squat aliens in body armour.

Surviving the initial hostilities, the Doctor and his friends discover that the SSS squad is on a terrifying mission. With many lives at stake, they have to venture deep inside the asteroid in search of a hideous weapon. But who can they trust in the battle against these Sontarans?

Verdict

The Sontarans was a fantastic audio adventure in which we got to hear the Doctor's first ever meeting with his great enemies. This is a story I have wanted to listen to ever since it was announced and I was so glad that it was definitely the Doctor's first meeting with them, rather than just another adventure that just happened to be with an earlier incarnation like what occurred with the Weeping Angels and the Fifth Doctor in Fallen Angels. He didn't have a clue what or who they were and he even got their name wrong at the start which was terrific and quite what I would have expected from William Hartnell's wonderful Doctor. I thought Peter Purves did a good job impersonating him as the First Doctor whilst reprising his own role as Steven. I was quite fascinated with how much Steven was in control and I also really enjoyed how both he and Sara knew all about the Sontarans whilst the Doctor was utterly clueless. His reaction to discovering that they were clones was great and I also liked the way he found out that their war was with the Rutans, not humanity. The appearance of the SSS was unexpected and I liked how this was a famed event in Sara's past. She knew all about what would occur on this asteroid and she had to abide by the history books. The Doctor permitting her to tell Papas the result of this battle was intriguing but something I very much liked. The required links and references to The Daleks' Master Plan, the story in which this adventure must take place, were brilliant and I liked the lead back into that story at the conclusion of this one. Steven being subjected to Sontaran torture and experimentation was really good and I liked how he was struggling to prevent them from finding out about the Time Destructor. Their fascination with the TARDIS, or 'cabinet', was delightful and I enjoyed their frustration at not being able to get in. Their desire for honour and fair conflict was superb and I absolutely adored how the Doctor took advantage of that in providing human safety with the ships towards the story's end. Gage actually being a Sontaran was something I did not expect but it was the surprise of the revelation which made it so good. A Sontaran posing as a human was the most loyal of them all. Of course, Slite killed him without hesitation once he questioned an order. The asteroid setting was brilliant and seemed perfect for this era of Doctor Who. It worked really well. The Sontarans knowing of the Daleks and being intrigued by Steven's surviving of them was good and when he was recalling his imprisonment at the hands of the Mechanoids that we saw in The Chase, the Sontarans thinking voluntary imprisonment absolutely illogical was sublime. I thought the ending was decent with the Sontarans being overpowered by the Nil and humans alike but the Doctor opening the TARDIS for the leading Sontarans to step in so Tinder could shoot them in their probic vents as they entered was a great strategy indeed, as the Sontar natives acknowledged. The cliffhangers were good and as a whole, this was a thoroughly enjoyable story!

Rating: 8/10

Teddy Sparkles Must Die!

"This new governess needs investigating."

Writer: Paul Magrs
Format: Short Story
Released: February 2018
Printed in: The Missy Chronicles

Featuring: Missy

Synopsis

Missy isn't exactly cut out to be a 1920s governess, but a wish-granting alien teddy bear will make anything worthwhile.

Verdict

Teddy Sparkles Must Die! was a rather interesting little story to continue my reading of The Missy Chronicles. It really was quite bonkers and that's probably the word I'd use to best describe Missy so I was more than happy for a bit of a bananas story that was far from the norm. It was all set within a house and the prospect of Missy being a family's new governess was wonderful. You just knew that she wouldn't really have the patience and could you actually imagine her liking children? Of course, it was all part of a mad plan to take over the world and the means by which she was attempting to do so were incredibly unique. I liked that. Teddy Sparkles was literally a teddy - a golden bear to be specific. Well, that's how he appeared. He was actually quite a clever little alien who could engineer reality and I liked the way that his abilities were disguised as wishes. That worked very nicely considering the focus of the story was on the three children that Missy became the governess for in 1925. Peter was quite humorous and useless with his single line of 'boop' occurring sporadically but Esme and Jack were really good characters. As the eldest sibling, I enjoyed how sceptical the latter was towards their new mistress and he just knew that she was no good. The scenes on the Moon were quite unexpected but the image of Missy using her umbrella to glide down and to save the children from the Moon Men was delightful. The children being granted wishes by Teddy Sparkles was great and I loved that Missy also had to save them from Mars on a previous occasion. Missy persuading the children to wish for powers of authority after saving their lives and promising to leave them was devious and quite a mad and roundabout way of gaining the ammunition she needed to take over the world. When she returned in the 1960s to enact her scheme, Teddy Sparkles was having none of it and despite being neglected in a cupboard for a number of years, he reversed his changes in time in a sacrificial manner as it would mean he would exit existence. Missy wasn't happy and that of course meant Teddy Sparkles must die. But her damage was undone. Missy was used to setbacks though but she had grown sick of this family and time period as Sparkles' changes meant that she became famous and revered - something she detested. I wasn't a huge fan of the section where Missy narrated and I felt at times that the story became a tad silly but it was very enjoyable despite a somewhat predictable conclusion. Overall though, still a lovely little read!

Rating: 7/10

Plague of the Cybermen

"All over the graveyard, metal hands and arms thrust upwards like grotesque trees erupting from the grass."

Writer: Justin Richards
Format: Novel
Released: April 2013
Series: NSA 51

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor

Synopsis

'They like the shadows. You know them as Plague Warriors.'

When the Doctor arrives in the 19th-century village of Klimtenburg, he discovers the residents suffering from some kind of plague - a 'wasting disease'. The victims face a horrible death - but what's worse, the dead seem to be leaving their graves. The Plague Warriors have returned...

The Doctor is confident he knows what's really happening; he understands where the dead go, and he's sure the Plague Warriors are just a myth. But as some of the Doctor's oldest and most terrible enemies start to awaken he realises that maybe - just maybe - he's misjudged the situation.

Verdict

Plague of the Cybermen was an excellent novel! I really enjoyed a bonus meeting between the Eleventh Doctor and the Cybermen and I was delighted that they finally got a New Series Adventures book. I really liked the story told by Justin Richards and I thought a generic 19th century setting was really good. I probably would have preferred a more common place for the story to take place in and a specific year but it wasn't really important and it still worked wonderfully well. Klimtenburg became a very intriguing and eery place and I think its intimacy was what allowed it to work without the specific detail. Olga was a lovely character and she more than made up for the lack of the companion. She got on terrifically with the Doctor and I thought the writing of this incarnation was decent throughout with a very good likeness of Matt Smith portrayed on the page. There was the right level of humour and '... are cool' references and he really did seem like the clueless yet intelligent buffoon that we all love. The prologue with the Cyberman rising from the grave to kill Stefan really set the scene and it immediately made the Cybermen threatening and deadly which was a huge positive. I liked how the idea of them being scavengers was played out here and they were desperate following their spaceship crashing long ago. The stories that had come from that crash in the village were good and I also liked the central focus of the castle. The tunnels running to and from it provided a creepy element to the setting and I also liked how the Doctor mentioned that the Cybermen enjoyed the shadows. Their history in the village as Plague Warriors was superb and I really liked that once the Doctor arrived, the stories started to come true. Both Lord and Lady Ernhardt were fantastic characters and I found the revelation of the latter not being real quite a surprise. I probably shouldn't have though given how she was able to overpower a Cyberman with apparent ease. Her not knowing it was quite heartbreaking though, and the Doctor felt quite bad about himself. Her death was a horrific moment and Victor, her son, realising that she was gone was very saddening. His role as a partially-converted Cyberman was very interesting and him being converted from the neck down provided the Doctor with the ammunition to shut down the Cybermen for good. Their inability to act as we know they can due to power shortages was good and I loved the appearance of tombs - they were a colonising faction. The cliffhangers to some of the chapters were really nicely done and I have to say the pace of the story was brilliant. I read it incredibly quickly and that's obviously a great sign. The ending was good with Victor being part of the Cyber-network and the Doctor using him to convert the stored energy of the Cybermen back into them causing them to be obliterated. Victor wouldn't survive, but he knew that was a possibility thanks to the Doctor's honesty. I was quite surprised he didn't say goodbye to Olga and Kraus but I liked that they were together by the end of the novel. Overall, a wonderful read!

Rating: 9/10

The Last Day at Work

"I have a noise in my head."

Writer: Harry Draper
Format: Audio
Released: December 2018
Series: 2018 Paul Spragg Short Trips Memorial Opportunity

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie

Synopsis

Constable Bernard Whittam is in for a special evening. Finally retiring from a lifetime in the police force, he's celebrating with friends, family and the woman he loves. It's all perfect. Apart from the noise in his head, the wheezing, groaning noise the has haunted his entire life. That and the unusual gatecrashers.

It's going to be a night to remember...

Verdict

The Last Day at Work was simply wonderful. It was a delightful Short Trips audio and I would just love to hear more work from Harry Draper after this phenomenal little story. There was no big alien threat or a risk of the world ending, it was just pure storytelling at its best. I really liked how pure and emotional this was and the presence of the Doctor and Jamie just added to the feel good factor of Bernard's retirement. I liked how he was quite curious by the appearance and presence of the Doctor and Jamie and I really loved the combined eavesdropping between the two groups. I have to give kudos to Nicholas Briggs for his narration of this audio as I thought he did an absolutely superb job. I was really impressed with his impression of both Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor and Frazier Hines's Jamie. He really was able to capture the era of the late 1960s really well and I enjoyed that it was a present day setting for that era of the show. The connections this adventure had with An Unearthly Child was hugely unexpected but something I absolutely adored. Giving an entire backstory and huge background to the policeman seen walking at the very start of the episode is incredibly audacious but the delivery was just incredible. He was part of the chameleon circuit! How incredible is that? Bernard had been hearing the wheezing and groaning of the TARDIS all of his life and now he was retiring, he was worried he wouldn't be able to push it to the back of his mind. Except, he had only lived for five years. He didn't allow his parents, who he created, to age and Jamie noticed that. Once the Doctor heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS, he knew what was happening. Once Totter's Lane was mentioned as where Bernard had patrolled, the Doctor knew what had happened. Bernard being inside the TARDIS was really good and I liked how he felt that it was all familiar. It was a staggeringly emotional story and hearing of his love for Emma and the way he receded back into the TARDIS was very heart-wrenching. It was so powerful and Jamie was quite shaken by not being able to keep Bernard around after the life he had willed into existence and blended into. That's what he would always do. Overall, this was simply delightful and I can't quite believe it was given away for free! Simply superb.

Rating: 10/10

The Sword of the Chevalier

"You try and put a price on life, you only expose how worthless you are."

Writer: Guy Adams
Format: Audio
Released: November 2017
Series: TDA 2.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

1791 and the Doctor and Rose get to meet one of the most enigmatic, thrilling and important people in history: The Chevalier d'Eon. She used to be known as a spy, but then she used to be known as a lot of things. If there's one thing the Doctor knows it's that identity is what you make of it.

Choose a life for yourself and be proud. Mind you, if the Consortium of the Obsidian Asp get their way, all lives may soon be over...

Verdict

The Sword of the Chevalier was a decent audio adventure to continue along the second series of the Tenth Doctor Adventures. Taking Rose and the Tenth Doctor back to the past was done a little during Series 2 so I liked that there was another dip into history here - I certainly appreciated it. The Doctor getting very excitable about going somewhere spectacular was wonderful and I just loved the sudden way he stated that Slough would be the destination. That wasn't quite where Rose had in mind. I liked the Doctor's eagerness to get a look through the telescope that discovered the sixth and seventh moons of Saturn and he really did seem like an excited tourist. David Tennant was magnificent throughout as the Doctor and I really enjoyed how he told the backstory of the Chevalier. It was done informatively but also in a way that didn't feel like an info dump for those who may not be educated in this period of History. I'm currently a third of the way through a Master's Degree in the subject and I'd never heard of her (him?). I could have done without the political correctness concerning gender as I don't think it was really necessary in an 18th century story but the whole concept of her actually being a man and the King accepting him to live as a woman was really intriguing. Speaking of which, I thought the Consortium of the Obsidian Asp were a rather enigmatic enemy and their delving in slavery was quite apt for the period in which they were in. The Doctor recognising their criminal logo when he just wanted some ice cream was quite saddening as he just couldn't relax. I thought Rose had a decent story and her aiding with the jailbreak was good, but I did think Billie Piper was still suffering a little rustiness in bringing the essence of the character back to life. I'm sure she'll get there though. The switch between male and female voice of the masked monstrosity was a nice addition to the mystery of the character but I wasn't overly fussed on the sound effect that went with it. Some of the reactions of the local people to that change in voice was quite humorous though. I quite liked the pace of the conclusion but this adventure was just lacking a bit of action. I think some would have certainly improved proceedings! The Doctor's very existence as a Time Lord was enough to send the Consortium packing as they had to obey a species they recognised as superior, but surely that could have been found out earlier? Nonetheless, it was still a very enjoyable audio! Overall, another good listen.

Rating: 7/10

Combat Magicks

"Death is nothing but a meeting place."

Writer: Steve Cole
Format: Novel
Released: November 2018
Series: NSA 65

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

"Witch, you will rise from my throne, for we are due a reckoning."

The TARDIS arrives in Gaul in 451AD, on the eve of battle between the forces of Attila the Hun and those of the crumbling Roman Empire. But the Doctor soon finds that both sides are being helped by sinister, supernatural creatures.

While Graham makes allies in the Roman camp and Ryan is pursued by the enigmatic Legion of Smoke, the Doctor and Yasmin are pressed into service as Attila's personal sorcerers.

But the Doctor knows there is science behind the combat magicks - and that the true war will pit all humanity against a ruthless alien threat.

Verdict

Combat Magicks was an excellent novel and definitely the best read of the Thirteenth Doctor's run yet! It has been an impressive debut trio for Jodie Whittaker's incarnation in prose and I really liked how this one started. There was trouble in the TARDIS and it lead its team to Gaul in 451AD. I thought this was a brilliant setting and I really liked how Ryan didn't know a great deal about the period compared to Yaz and Graham. Each of the companions showed their merit and I thought Cole did a very good job of splitting the team up and showing each of the characters' benefits and what they bring to the story. The Doctor's relationship with Bittenmane was delightful and I never thought a horse would be so crucial to the plot and resolution of a Doctor Who adventure -  he was absolutely pivotal! The Doctor giving up her sonic screwdriver so that Atilla the Hun wouldn't kill him was a lovely moment. He found the Doctor's emotional weakness right away. I liked how well utilised all the different tribes were and I thought the battles and war between the Romans and the Huns was presented terrifically. I really did like how well the setting was portrayed and it was also a pivotal part of the story. The Tenctrana served as fascinating and brilliant enemies for the big and I liked how despite this adventure having a theme of witchery, it was far different to that of The Witchfinders due to the setting. The Tenctrana had been planning and meddling with history for a millennium leading up to this battle as they fed on the energies of the dead. They predicted plagues that they then caused and benefited from, but it wasn't just human life that they feasted on and that would bring their downfall. Considering when this book was written, I thought the characterisation of the Thirteenth Doctor was sublime throughout as Jodie Whittaker's likeness was so well captured on the page. There was the perfect amount of humour and laughter at her own jokes. I really liked that. Ryan's relationship with Liss was fantastic and I found the whole concept of the Legion of Smoke hugely intriguing. They were like a Roman version of UNIT and I loved how they knew about the Doctor and the TARDIS due its appearances in The Romans and The Fires of Pompeii. Word of the Doctor travelled and I just loved that. Yaz was clearly struggling at moments during this story and I also liked how Graham was finding it difficult at times which sold the scale of the adventure very well. His relationship with Vitus was decent and I was intrigued when he helped him escape. Attila and Aetius thwarting their fighting to join forces against the Tenctrana was commendable and the little banter that came from dialogue between the two was quite humorous. The Doctor's desire to prevent the fighting was good and I liked the difficulties of the fixed point in time of the battle. People had to die and Yaz was quite saddened, echoing sentiments of Rosa and Demons of the Punjab. The way the Tenctrana were defeated, just as all seemed lost, was quick but brilliant. The use of the healing gel as a poison against the alien sorcerers was good and just as they took Bittenmane, they had to flush him out of their energy pull. The Doctor pounced and saw that all of the good energy would also be deposited. Using the DNA manipulator she had acquired from the Legion of Smoke, she was able to convert the Tenctrana's harvesting and literally turn them into compost. She switched human life with flora and their millennial cycle would continue, just not how they desired. Overall, a superb novel!

Rating: 9/10

The Warmonger Part 4

"We end a war."

Writer: Scott Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: 10th January 2019
Printed in: DWM 534

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Berakka Dogbolter has the Doctor at her mercy. Ryan and Graham are locked in a dressing room whilst Yaz is still stuck on the surface of the war-torn planet of Gatan. What will be the fate of the Freedom Thoughtcasting Network? Will the war between Kraytos and Tumat ever end?

Verdict

The Warmonger concluded in pretty decent style and as a whole was a more than decent start to the Thirteenth Doctor's comic strip run! Now, onto the issue of Doctor Who Magazine itself and it looks set to be another good one. Tom Baker adorns the cover so I know for sure that at least one interview will be worth reading in this month's edition - and he should be brilliant also being the Out of the TARDIS feature. He really is a fantastic chap and I always enjoy reading what he has to say. I'm also intrigued to read the preview and his thoughts of his upcoming novel Scratchman. I've already got it reserved from the library so as soon as they have it in I will be loaning it! I'm really fascinated to see how the great man will write a story featuring himself as the Doctor. I'm looking forward to reading James Goss's thoughts about the writing process with Tom Baker as he is a favoured author of mine and I'm also excited to read the interview with Shaun Dooley as he played a pretty interesting character in The Ghost Monument. I'm particularly looking forward to Galaxy Forum again this month as it will have all the thoughts on the last three episodes of the series and I will also be looking forward to reading DWM's own reviews on the episodes. Now, back to the comic strip itself and despite the story being a great one overall, I actually thought this part was the weakest of the four. It just seemed a bit rushed which was a shame and I think it could definitely have benefitted by being one part longer. I would've liked the Doctor finding Yaz to have actually occurred in the artwork rather than them just being reunited after a bit of a jump. I have to admit, Ryan and Graham adorning the suits of Kraytos and Tumat was hilarious and a great resolution to the cliffhanger of the last issue. Tondi was terrific once again and she provided an incredibly heartfelt update on the truth of the battle between the two gigantic soldiers. I thought the way the Doctor dealt with them being unaware of their surroundings and not quite of this universe was decent, but again just a tad rushed, and I really wasn't expecting them to amalgamate into one person! Hearing the Chimera's emotional dealing with all the thoughts and memories lost and the fact that people had died because of its battles was heartbreaking. I was quite surprised that the Doctor let Dogbolter stay around and I could have done without the little moment where she addressed the audience, but I thought the characterisation of Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor was excellent throughout. Overall, still a pretty good conclusion to a great story!

Rating: 8/10

Lords and Masters

"I've not been in my right mind since, well, forever."

Writer: Cavan Scott
Format: Short Story
Released: February 2018
Printed in: The Missy Chronicles

Featuring: Missy

Synopsis

With her TARDIS hijacked, Missy is forced to take on a dangerous mission for the High Council. But she's nobody's puppet...

Verdict

Lords and Masters was a superb continuation of my reading of The Missy Chronicles! It was a delightful tale and I really loved that we got to see Missy entertaining with a journey in her own TARDIS. That is something we haven't seen on television so it was a very good treat to read here. I'd just love to have had a little more description of the console room just to get an insight into how Missy may have designed her surroundings. Her little escape from some Skarasens was a lovely way to start the adventure and I really liked how it was obvious that her chameleon circuit was functioning. Just what she had gotten up to with the Zygons may have been another great adventure but for now she provided a lot of humour with her recollection of recent events. Trying to take off in the TARDIS was more difficult and she soon discovered that she wasn't alone. She was joined by Yayani who was on a mission for the High Council of the Time Lords. I thought she was a fantastic character and she strangely seemed to get on with Missy quite well. That strangeness didn't last for long though as we learned she had attempted to assassinate Lord President Rassilon. This story provided an intriguing insight into The End of Time as we learned who the man cowering behind Rassilon was - the Patriarch of the House of Stillhaven. This was the chapter that Yayani belonged to and Rassilon had desecrated it with experiments during the Time War. That was why she tried to kill him, but she failed and her punishment was to serve the man she tried to kill. She accompanied Missy to the Kyme Institute in the 28th century to stop some meddling with time and I loved how quickly she made Kalub immobile and pretty much obsolete for the rest of the story through her sonic umbrella. His experiment on a harmless pregnant creature, which Missy hilariously labelled a beetroot, was disgraceful and Yayani's reaction to learning of its suffering was brilliant. She had no issues in saying the magic word that saw Kalub's bones fracture one by one. The chronographic containment field really was quite horrible and Missy was going to see that the creature was put out of its misery through the tissue compression eliminator. She hadn't used one for years! However, I loved the little switch in direction with it being Yayani that was the victim of the TCE and sent back to Gallifrey. The relationship between the General, who setup the whole mission, and Missy throughout was wonderful with her referring to him as General Slaphead a particular highlight. But she would not be anyone's puppet. She took advantage of the mission though and jettisoned the Eye of Harmony from her TARDIS and used the creature to power it. She got the replacement she was after all along. Overall, an excellent story!

Rating: 9/10

Cat Litter

"He makes up all the rules as he goes along."

Writer: Marc Platt
Format: Comic Strip
Released: October 1992
Printed in: DWM 192

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Trapped in the TARDIS with its internal dimensions in constant flux, Ace must try and find the Doctor and work out just what is happening. Why is she so obsessed with how she compares with previous companions? And what will the TARDIS decide her fate to be?

Verdict

Cat Litter was sadly an extremely average end to my reading of the Evening's Empire graphic novel. I really cannot recall a collection of stories as mixed in quality as this one as we really did have some wonderful ones mixed in with some quite awful ones and some of my first consistently low ratings in a very long time. However, this has more or less completed my reading of the Seventh Doctor's run in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strips in a very jumbled order but at least they're now all blogged! I'm getting somewhere close to catching up now which is quite surprising really. I don't know how I'll manage once I have caught up! Anyhow, this isn't likely to be one that lives long in my memory and it really did have the feel of it being a filler story which was a bit of a shame. Even though I am yet to delve into the Virgin New Adventures, I really liked how this comic strip was trying to tie in with what was occurring there and there was also a nice reference to Memorial. That's pretty much where the good ended though and instead we just got Ace running around the innards of the TARDIS in a pretty meaningless story. There was nothing happening and Ace was just lost. We saw a humorous stamp of Frobisher's memory as companion but I was really put off by Ace's comments concerning herself and the Doctor's previous companions. She didn't seem too distressed or respectful of those companions that died when travelling with the Doctor and she thought she was the most important one. I didn't like that at all. I also couldn't understand why the panels of this comic strip were numbered and counted down. It didn't add anything to the story and just had me waiting for its purpose to be revealed, but sadly nothing ever came of it which I found really odd. The Doctor barely featured which was a shame but his end conversation with Ace did little to reveal just what had been going on. Would the TARDIS really be preparing for a new companion with the old one still inside? I couldn't buy into that. I like that the TARDIS has a mind of its own and could reconfigure its dimensions at will, but what would its problem with Ace be? This comic strip was clearly a way to write Ace out of the comics for a little while at least, but I thought it could have been done with a bit more quality. Overall, a bit of a disappointing end to the collection.

Rating: 5/10

Memorial

"The wounds never truly heal."

Writer: Warwick Gray
Format: Comic Strip
Released: September 1992
Printed in: DWM 191

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

Plagued by nightmares, Simon Galway - a World War II veteran - heads for the local cenotaph. There her meets the Doctor and Ace and doesn't hold back in introducing himself. He disagrees with the Doctor's sentiments of war and an unearthly tale will soon have considerable relevance...

Verdict

Memorial was a terrific little comic strip and a great example of how to tell a very good story with a limited page count. I was really impressed with this one and I think a lot of that is down to its simplicity. It had a lot of familiarity as it dealt with real life issues and using something as traumatic and impactful as the Second World War as a basis for a story and the discussion within it provided a lot of power. I think my love of history probably has something to do with why I enjoyed this comic strip so much and even though this didn't deal with the Holocaust specifically, that is a topic I have wrote 10,000 words on in my first term as a Masters student so using its wider context of World War Two and seeing the Doctor somewhat ridicule the whole thing was incredibly powerful. Ace wasn't too keen on the arrival to Westmouth as she found it quite boring but as per usual with the Seventh Doctor, he had a purpose to this destination that he had failed to let his companion know about. The 1995 setting was really good and the fifty year anniversary of the death of Simon's brother, Brian, was a poignant moment. The Doctor and Simon meeting was fantastic and their differing stances on the necessity of war was delightful. The Doctor sold a good story as an outsider and how there was no inevitability to war, despite what politicians say, but I really admired how Simon stood up for his country and what he fought for. He was defending his people from fascism and he would not be told that there was no point to all he lost and suffered. Ace pointing out that the Doctor had done his fair share of fighting was good and despite her not really doing an awful lot in the adventure, I thought Ace had a very strong showing as companion. The story of the Telphin and Chaktra was quite mesmerising but I really didn't expect it to link so heavily with Simon and how he was drawn to the memorial. The Doctor protecting the soul of the Telphin to allow it to carry on living after being decimated by the Chaktra thanks to some misguided messages was lovely. Simon was the carrier they required and he was grateful to have remembered his initial meeting with the Doctor and to help the once-thought extinct race live on. Overall, a very moving story!

Rating: 9/10

The Dark Husband

"I think this whole planet is a graveyard."

Writer: David Quantick
Format: Audio
Released: March 2008
Series: Main Range 106

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Hex

Synopsis

"This whole wedding is like making a nuclear bomb with half the instructions missing!"

A week-long respite from a prolonged and bloody war, the Festival of the Twin Moons of Tuin makes Glastonbury look like a church fete... or so the brochure says. The Doctor and Ace are looking for rest and recreation. Hex is looking for the beer tent. But eternal enemies the ginger-haired Ri and the coot-bald Ir are plotting to turn their Festival truce to their own advantage. Only the Dark Husband might stop the celebrations turning to horror... but who is the Dark Husband? And what terror awaits him on his wedding night?

If anyone knows any just cause or impediment... speak now. The lives of billions depend on it.

Verdict

The Dark Husband was a bit of an average audio adventure sadly. It brought an end to what was quite an impressive run of stories for my personal listening which was a shame and whilst I’m saying it wasn’t great, that’s not to say it was horrific in the slightest. There were some very good elements and that’s reflected in what is still a pretty decent rating but it just wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I must admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Sylvester McCoy on audio as the Seventh Doctor as his quality can vary with a lot of inconsistency and that sentiment is something I very much felt here. He didn’t do badly and I think a lot of it has to do with the personality of the seventh incarnation, but he just doesn’t always work for me like every other Doctor does. I wasn’t a fan of yet another deception act by the Doctor towards his companions. Would he really need to plant brochures to get them to go to Tuin? Why couldn’t he just set the coordinates and be off with it. I didn’t like that. I thought the way the Festival was built up was terrific but what we got wasn’t actually what we’d been sold. We did soon get something similar but I kind of liked the idea of Ace getting her spa and Ace his pint. Instead we arrived on a bleak planet of graveyards. Their arrival was eventually met by Ori  who was a somewhat interesting character but I don’t know why we were made to think she was actually a he. It made a lot of sense later in the story with the wedding but for the reveal to come so early made little sense to me. I thought Irit though was a superb character and I really loved the way he was played. That voice was just marvellous! He was such a welcomed contrast to Ori. I thought the history of the 10,000 year war between the Ri and the Ir was pretty interesting and I was fascinated that despite their differences, of which there were actually few, they worshipped the same god. Tuin turning out to be the Church was decent and I liked that the time of the Festival was the only chance of peace being achieved. The way the Doctor stalled for time when sentenced to execution was brilliant though and probably my favourite moment of the whole audio. The revelation that Tuin itself was the mysterious voice we had been hearing sporadically through the audio was unexpected but I wasn’t overly thrilled to be honest. I didn’t think he made too great of a villain and I thought the final part dragged slightly. The sacrifice of Ori and Irit was commendable though and injected considerable emotion into the script. The relationship between Ace and Hex was quite intriguing and it’s clear that the latter has considerable feelings for the former. I am intrigued to see if that gets developed in future. Ace thinking of the Doctor when she was told to think of something she loved to fight off the hold of Tuin was lovely too. The concept of the Dark Husband and the Shining Wife was intriguing but I just felt like the whole ritual was being made up as it went along which wasn’t great. As a whole, this story had some good elements but it just didn’t quite delivery as well as I would have liked. 

Rating: 6/10

The Lost Dimension

"You must be made whole, before you are torn apart."

Writers: George Mann, Cavan Scott, Nick Abadzis, Gordon Rennie & Emma Beeby
Format: Comic Strip
Released: August-November 2017
Printed in: The Lost Dimension #1-8

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole, Jenny, Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Tenth Doctor, Gabby, Cindy, Ninth Doctor, Rose, Captain Jack, Tara, War Doctor, Eighth Doctor, Josie, Seventh Doctor, Sixth Doctor, Fifth Doctor, Fourth Doctor, Romana II, River Song, Third Doctor, Second Doctor, First Doctor

Synopsis

When the universe is threatened when the laws of Time, Space and Reality break down, different incarnations of the Doctor can meet. It should never happen. But this is one of those days!

The universe is collapsing, swallowed up into the void - and the people of Earth have turned against the Doctor, forcing him to team up with his past and future selves!

Verdict

The Lost Dimension was an incredible comic strip crossover! I'm not even sure if it qualifies as a single story but I see no other way to blog it. It was so big that it required two graphic novels but that space was incredibly well utilised. I absolutely loved it. The first issue of Alpha really set the scene with Jenny crashing at the university and being reunited with her Dad, although this time it was the Twelfth Doctor. Her briefly meeting Captain Jack and Tara, and losing them to the white hole, was quite unexpected. Something really wasn't right. Bill and Nardole meeting Kate Stewart and the rest of UNIT was lovely but I thought the most surprising moment of this part was the Tenth Doctor's TARDIS momentarily reverting back to that of the time of the Third Doctor and seeing him get kind of stuck in the later model. The second adventure being one for solely the Ninth Doctor was very good and I loved that Madame Vastra and Jenny accompanied him! It was a wonderful alliance and I loved how it was put to the test once it was revealed that the Doctor had deceived Vastra in telling her that she was the sole Silurian in existence. Horlak was a lovely character and I really liked that we had a mixture in the appearances of the Silurians with them coming from different clans. The Tenth Doctor's solo story was terrific as well as he battled some Classic-era Cybermen! It was lovely to see the clash of eras and I also enjoyed the importance of the Doctor realising that the Cybermen were also infected, rather than doing the infecting themselves. The Eleventh Doctor's solo story was perhaps my favourite part of the entire story! Seeing him end up on Ancient Gallifrey in the times where the Time Lords were just dabbling with TARDIS growth was simply magnificent. The idea that the TARDISes initially rejected their inner dimensions was incredible and I liked that the Doctor inadvertently became good friends with Rassilon. Touching on Gallifreyan history between Rassilon and Omega was excellent, too. The Eleventh Doctor piloting a Type-1 TARDIS was also phenomenal and I liked how that ended up being the reasoning behind the dimensional fluxes throughout time and space. The little special for Jenny was terrific and I liked how we got to see what happened to her very soon after The Doctor's Daughter. It was a nice addition in allowing us to see how she ended up where she did with the Twelfth Doctor. The prospect of Bill fancying her was a fantastic inclusion. The Fourth Doctor having his own adventure with Romana was just marvellous and having him battling versions of the Krotons, Quarks and Ogrons from other universes was simply superb! I really loved the old enemies returning, even if it wasn't quite in the traditional form. The Doctor sold how terrible the Daleks were without them even having to feature and then he used the TARDIS to show them that this universe would not be conquered. And it was all because of one man and his box. River Song's own special was decent and I loved the idea of off-world Silurians! That is something I have not considered before so I really liked that. The characterisation of her was very good and she shared quite a humorous relationship with Willard. Things started to build towards a conclusion in the Twelfth Doctor's own story but he had to brilliantly share a lot of it with the Tenth Doctor. The moment he opened the TARDIS to find his past self, Gabby and Cindy was really excellent. The dialogue between the pair was wonderful and I loved Bill's reaction to learning about the Doctor's other faces. The arrival of the Ninth Doctor into proceedings was great and his reaction to Jenny was very humorous. The finale of Omega was absolutely brilliant and I loved that all of the Doctors appeared, including a somewhat middle-aged War Doctor. I thought the Eighth Doctor staying on Earth with Josie and the other companions was terrific and I really enjoyed that the other incarnations referred to him as the romantic one. The ending was quite simply given the extraordinary build but it worked nicely. The TARDIS, the Doctor's that is, having a good old conversation with the Type-1 TARDIS and sorting things out and having it return things to where they were from the Void was very good indeed. Overall, there was just so much to love about this story! There was even a hypercube and a conversation between the Second Doctor and Alice. It really was just epic!


Rating: 10/10

The Dalek Factor

"Kill me. Kill you. Kill Thals. Kill everything that does not serve the purpose of the Dalek race."

Writer: Simon Clark
Format: Novella
Released: March 2004
Series: Telos Novellas #15

Featuring: The Doctor

Synopsis

When a Thal platoon arrive on a hostile planet investigating reports that Dalek artefacts have been detected, they are unprepared for what they find. In an underground room is a stranger, a Professor, or so he claims, with no memory of who he is or why he is there. With death and horror their only companions, the Thals make their way with the Professor into the heart of a crumbling Dalek citadel in search of answers... only to find that the Daleks are the least of the horrors they must face.

Verdict

The Dalek Factor was a pretty average novella which was a bit of a shame. It had a lot of good ideas but it just couldn't quite grab my interest and attention which is quite impressive for all of the wrong reasons. I love the history concerning the Daleks and the Thals but this story just didn't do it for me sadly. I really didn't like the first person approach and that is something that I have mentioned on more than one occasion in Doctor Who prose. It just doesn't work for me. I thought Jomi was a decent character and I enjoyed his relationship with the Doctor but he wasn't interesting enough to keep my intrigue for 139 pages. I thought the story was seriously lacking in extensive action and tried to be bold in making big moments happen out of nowhere in the middle of paragraphs and that approach just wasn't good. I admire how the adventure tried, and pretty much succeeded, in selling how terrible and fearsome the Daleks were and there probably isn't a better race than the Thals to illustrate that. One thing I'm not a fan of at all is having a story without a specified incarnation of the Doctor. It just makes absolutely no sense to me and after all the hints and build up to revealing that the mysterious Professor actually was the Doctor, the reveal was actually quite poor. It wasn't the big reveal it should have been and I thought the Doctor sighting the TARDIS, rather than its key, should have been what rejigged his memory if it wasn't going to be the Daleks. The appearance of 'an' Dalek Emperor seemed lazy writing to me but I did enjoy that the character appeared, albeit a bit too late in the story. The Dalek using the unnamed planet as an experimental lab was very good but I wasn't quite sure about their wish to implant species with a Dalek heart. It was a bit different to the puppet method we would see in Asylum of the Daleks but I like that this was something new for the Daleks. I liked the prospect of them infiltrating the Thals without them even knowing it but I really thought the reveal that the Thals we had got to know throughout the story were actually Thals with Dalek hearts was quite poor and again lacking in an oomph moment. It just didn't feel big and came out of nowhere. There needed to be more elaboration in parts which was a shame. The way the likes of Tar'ant, Vay and Pup were killed was gruesome but a lot of the killing wasn't actually done by Daleks. The ending was quite intriguing with a somewhat Westworld feel with events just beginning again and I question whether the actual Doctor appeared at all. The cameos of the First Doctor's likeness was very nice though. Overall, a story with some good and intriguing ideas but the delivery just wasn't there.

Rating: 5/10

Dismemberment

"It was raining blood."

Writer: James Goss
Format: Short Story
Released: February 2018
Printed in: The Missy Chronicles

Featuring: Missy

Synopsis

The leading lights of Missy's private members' club bar her on the grounds that she's female. They're going to regret it.

Verdict

Dismemberment was a great start to The Missy Chronicles! This a collection of short stories I have been very excited about for a while now and just when I was considering purchasing a copy, I stumbled upon it in the local library to my delight. Missy is an incarnation with so much personality and even though she is the same character, she's very different to the Master and I think that is what adds to her popularity. Michelle Gomez contributes a lot to that too and I'm very excited by her upcoming audio series too. I really loved how this story was clearly at the start of life for the Master as a woman and she wasn't quite sure on her name anymore. She subtly referenced the ordeal she had been through in World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls leading to her regeneration but she was still the very same person. The Scoundrels Club was the perfect place for the Master and I liked how it was where he went soon after changing bodies. This time would be no different but the reception might be quite different now that the Master was a woman. She didn't take too kindly to being told to leave and the members would soon pay the cost for not allowing her to maintain her membership. The reference to The Movie was delightful as even snakes were allowed, but women were not. I thought the story's title was quite fitting for Missy's first piece of prose and the delight she took in killing off the members of the Scoundrels Club was somehow wonderful. She was so calm and relaxed whilst her victim was quivering. She just loved being evil and that's why Missy is such a fantastic villain. There was only a slight mention of the Doctor and she was partly a member of the club because it would annoy him, but I loved that this story was all about Missy. It definitely had an early feel with her, on more than one occasion, asking for her vitctims to say something nice which was reminiscent of Series 8. The way she disposed of Ascot on the bridge with the Reissmann Collection was quite extraordinary and then she just tied Bobo to a train track before marrying him and legally taking all of his money. She engrossed herself with evil, but she had a purpose - revenge. What she did with the surviving members of the Club was quite incredible too as she had Saffron, an incredible cook from a slaved sugar plantation, poison their deserts which enabled her to take them back to the eighteenth century and become slaves themselves. Mandeville was going to make his ancestors rich now. One aspect of this story that I particularly loved was that it was the origin story for Missy finding her new name. The Master no longer fitted, so she was Missy. It wasn't messy or fussy. I really liked how Saffron helped her come to that name. Overall, a delightful tale of evil!

Rating: 8/10